Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘SHANG-CHI’ Wraps in Australia as Simu Liu Heads to San Francisco

    ‘SHANG-CHI’ Wraps in Australia as Simu Liu Heads to San Francisco

    UPDATE: Turns out SF was just a stop on Liu’s trip home and he will not be filming any scenes there.

    Principal photography on Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings wrapped in Australia over the weekend but it’s possible that the film’s star, Simu Liu, might not be done just yet. Liu recently left Australia and in the video below, taken from his Instagram story, is headed to San Francisco where stunt scenes for the film have been ongoing for the past week.

    The stunt scenes have involved what appears to be a runaway SFT bus headed toward the waterfront near the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood. Over the course of the week, we’ve seen the bus reduced from two cars down to one and cause quite a bit of damage, as seen in the set photos below courtesy of @ShangChiBR:

    It’s possible that Liu is headed to San Francisco to film some pick-ups for the scene as it does seem a little too coincidental that the Toronto resident would happen to end up in the same place as these scenes have been being filmed. We’ll keep our eyes peeled and ears open over the next few days.

    Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is currently set to hit theaters on July 9, 2021.

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ is Square-Enix’s Second-Biggest Digital Launch

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ is Square-Enix’s Second-Biggest Digital Launch

    Marvel’s Avengers player base has been in question for quite some time. Shortly after the launch, it’s Steam player numbers were dwindling. It currently sits at around 2,000 players, which is a far cry from the initial 29K that started playing it. Still, the game was the best seller in the United States during September, even beating out nostalgia-driven releases like Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. It was hinting at the game’s core player base primarily being on console. Now, another release on the numbers may have confirmed that suspicion.

    Crystal Dynamics’ first attempt at a Games-as-a-Server was a hit digitally. According to SuperData, the game has sold 2.2 million digital units in September alone. As such, it is now the second-biggest digital launch for Square-Enix. It is only beat by this year’s Final Fantasy VII Remake. They were even on-par with PlayStation 4-exclusive’s Spider-Man release. They also compare it to the release of other shooters, which puts it between Destiny 2 and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, which is some great company to be in from a sales perspective.

    These are great numbers if you considering the controversies surrounding the game. Of course, this does not reflect how many people actively are playing the game. It also doesn’t showcase how many purchased skins through microtransactions. Its main selling point was on consoles, being placed behind NBA 2K21 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2‘s worldwide success. Those are two massive successes of this year, especially NBA 2K21‘s spike after the delayed postseason.

    Tony Hawk‘s remake was also a massive nostalgia-driven sale, as pointed out by SuperData beating out both Crash Bandicoot and Spyro’s remakes. Super Mario 3D All-Stars was also the biggest launch for a Mario-related title on the Switch. So, we should underestimate the success that is Marvel’s Avengers. These sales numbers could bode well for the game once more content is released, as console players can jump in with future additions. Still, it depends on Crystal Dynamics, who have been rather back-and-forth on when we can expect updates.

    Source: Steam Charts, SuperData

  • LEAKED ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Funko Pop Gives a Look at a Masked Zemo

    LEAKED ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Funko Pop Gives a Look at a Masked Zemo

    Marvel Studios The Falcon and The Winter Soldier recently wrapped filming in Prague and is, hopefully, going to stream on Disney Plus sometime in early 2021 but thanks to an eager retailer, we have our first look at a Funko Pop from the series. The Dis.pops Instagram account posted a picture of a previously unseen “Baron Zemo” Funko:

    In the past, Funko Pops have very accurately portrayed Marvel Studios characters and we have no reason to think this would be any different. While it’s great to see Zemo in his trademark mask, we’ve known that was coming since Daniel Bruhl put it on during a video presentation at SDCC ’19. What’s a bit more interesting is that box is labeled with the comic book accurate title of Baron.

    Marvel Officially Reveals Baron Zemo's MCU Mask | Screen Rant

    To this point, the MCU version of Helmut Zemo has been pretty radically different from his comic book counterpart and has not been referred to as “Baron” at any point nor has there been any reference to his father or the hereditary title. For the most part, Funko Pops have been very representative of the changes made to characters whose MCU versions have diverged from the source material, though there are plenty of examples of the collectibles using “comic book” names for film characters who were never referred to by those names on-screen (I’m looking at you Hydro-Man and Molten Man). So while the addition of “Baron” to the name of the character did catch my eye and could portend some interesting revelations about Zemo’s character in the upcoming series, let’s not count our chickens before we punch the gift horse in the mouth on this one.

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is (probably) set to stream on Disney Plus in early 2021.

  • Key Takeaways from ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ First Q&A

    Key Takeaways from ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ First Q&A

    Marvel’s Avengers has kicked into gear with some much-needed interaction with the community. It was something that many were asking for, as we ran out of things to do in the game. We got a live-stream with the developers and a rather detailed State of the Game blog entry. It gave us some insight into what happened behind-the-scenes and what the current focus is. This week we were surprised by the announcement of a Q&A. Anyone could drop their question so that the development team would discuss current issues. Not everyone was going to make it in, but they confirmed more are on the way. Here is a quick rundown of the biggest takeaways from Scott Amos‘ first Q&A.

    • Campaign replay has already entered the first testing phase. The biggest challenge is adjusting the individual character’s levels so that they work within the story.
    • They are hard at work trying to fix some of the lingering issues. As such, they are not going to roll out any seasonal content or events for now. Yet, Amos has highlighted that they have thought of it, and they will be adding new pieces of content in the future, such as gear, locations, enemies, villains, and more.

    • The current Tachyon missions will lead to the upcoming AIM Cloning Labs. As such, these two will be the set-up for Kate’s new operation. It will contain brand new cutscenes, adapted locations, and new missions. They do highlight that she will have some unique environments that will act as baby steps.
    • Existing Avengers will receive brand new skill trees, so we will see them evolve. They also teased unique story missions for the characters that continue where we left off.
    • New mechanics are already in development. They teased that the Tachyon rifts are just a simple version of what is coming.
    • Cross-platform is top-of-mind, but they are finalizing cross-generation play with the transition to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

    • They did tackle a question on the current lack of content. It is sadly an issue that they don’t want to give any exact dates. The dev team is trying to avoid rushing the content out. Amos did have the poor wording of “release this calendar year” which doesn’t give us a feeling if Kate will be available in November after all.
    • They teased larger expansions, which will offer new level design, warzones, and biomes. It seems very likely this will be the Black Panther addition.
    • They are working on how they can communicate the road map without setting specific dates. They want to avoid the issue of it getting released prematurely.

    So, I do believe the Q&A did a decent job. They tackled some of the most frequently asked questions and offered some minor glimpses into what is coming. The biggest issue is the Kate timeline. She was going to be released this month but was then “slightly” postponed. Now, they are expanding the deadline until the end of the year. I doubt it’ll be that long, but the wording just wasn’t great to give people hope on an upcoming content drop. Right now, people want content as soon as possible, but we don’t have a feeling for how long the wait will be.

    Also, they didn’t talk much about the AIM Cloning Lab, so we have no idea when that drops. My best guess was next weekend, but it’s hard to say at this point. It is a Q&A to show that they are actively giving feedback to the community, but we do need some kind of plan. I hope that the November War Table video is released earlier than later, as this will be the thing to keep people playing once the holiday gaming markets get filled. I am still excited about how the game will grow, but I do believe we need a clearer picture, as many like to joke, soon.

     

    You can check out the complete Q&A right here:

    Source: YouTube

  • RUMOR: First Details on ‘Black Adam’s Doctor Fate Revealed

    RUMOR: First Details on ‘Black Adam’s Doctor Fate Revealed

    Black Adam has been quite busy with pre-production, as it is starting to unite the various members of the Justice Society of America. There is one addition that was teased during the DC FanDome panel, the mysterious Doctor Fate. There have been many to hold the title and iconic golden helmet. As the film will focus on the JSA, we all assumed it would be the incarnation of Kent Nelson. He was the one to open the tomb of Nabu the Wise, who would mentor him as a sorcerer. He also is the one to bestow him the iconic helmet, amulet, and cloak, which would become iconic aspects of the character. There was no official word on who we can expect, but Illuminerdi might have some info to shed some light on the character’s future.

    It seems that the team behind Black Adam is looking for someone in their 30s to play the character. His description states that he is a “kind academic” who “becomes a terrifying force of nature, who sounds and acts differently.” This description fits the dual nature of Doctor Fate, as the mystical helmet was also known to have a mind of its own. He will retain his abilities of telepathy and telekinesis. He will also be able to slow time and alter reality. They are using Sam Rockwell as a reference, but, as Illuminerdi also points out, he is outside of the age range they were aiming for.

    Doctor Fate will have his debut on the silver screen, but he was adapted into live-action in the past. Our first real live-action incarnation was on Smallville. We briefly saw his helmet in Constantine. Doctor Fate was also a member of the JSA in Stargirl. Yet, we haven’t gotten a chance to see his abilities in action, as he is quite a beast within the DC Universe. Hopefully, we will get some casting news in the coming months, as the film starts gearing up for production.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Joe Manganiello to Reprise Role as Deathstroke in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    Joe Manganiello to Reprise Role as Deathstroke in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    Reshoots for Zack Snyder’s Justice League started to take place earlier this week, as reported by THR. So far, the cast members that were included in these reshoots were reportedly Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, Jared Leto, and Amber Heard as Batman, Cyborg, Joker, and Mera respectively. Now, we have learned that Joe Manganiello is set to reprise his role as Deathstroke for the upcoming DC production, as reported by Collider & their sources state that Manganiello will be returning to the set for additional shooting.

     

     

    It is important to note that Joe Manganiello was seen last night during a League of Legends event live on Twitch sporting a look similar to that of his Deathstroke appearance in the Justice League (2017) post-credit scene, as seen in the image above. When the project was officially announced back in May, Manganiello had actually gone on Instagram to state that the Synder Cut would include “the original post-credit scene”. What that original post-credit scene was, only time will tell.

     

    Zack Snyder’s Justice League is set to premiere exlucisvely on HBO Max in 2021.

  • ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’ Looking to Cast Three Wicked Sisters

    ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’ Looking to Cast Three Wicked Sisters

    After the electrifying success of the first Shazam! film, they quickly announced the development of the sequel. Of course, the cast and director are also returning for the highly anticipated follow-up. Getting production rolling on the film was priority number one due to the rapid aging of the young cast. The official title of the film was announced back in August during DC FanDome as Shazam!: Fury of The Gods. As production draws closer and closer, it seems their sparing no second and beginning the search for the film’s antagonist.
    It has been reported that the film is looking to cast three sisters, varying widely in age, who willl serve as adversaries in the upcoming sequel. Currently, the casting is looking for a Zendaya type for the youngest. One sister will be in the age range between 40 to 50. they have Eva Green and Halle Berry listed. Finally, the oldest sister will be a bit older, with the casting looking for a 50-60 age range. It highlights that Helen Mirren would be their ideal casting.
    Now many are probably beginning to wonder who these three sisters could be. Shazams’ roster of villains does not include any three sisters in comic history. We believe that the sisters could be the three sisters of fate: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. The sisters were once the daughters of Nyx, but have come to be known as the daughters of Zeus and Themis in Greek mythology. The Fates are said to be so powerful that not even Zeus could overturn their decisions. They are also known as the weaving goddesses, who decide the fates of man when they are born. The sisters maybe after the Shazamily. Now that Billy has shared the power of the wizards with his foster siblings to defeat Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins, they may have unleashed something even more dangerous.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man DLC Eyeing January Release

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man DLC Eyeing January Release

    There was a lot of drama this year when it was announced that Spider-Man would be an exclusive character for Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers game. As the character’s latest single-player game was a PlayStation exclusive, Sony jumped at the chance to keep that brand consistency. Of course, we have no idea how exactly this would work with consistent updates promised for all systems. We have no idea when he would be released with some rumors pointing him to being a March addition. Well, an eagle-eyed reader of the PlayStation magazine noticed a little detail during their Spider-Man: Miles Morales coverage. u/icematt12 noticed that a small section on the Avengers game states that Spidey will release in January.

    Avengers PS5 paragraph in latest UK PlayStation Magazine
    byu/icematt12 inPlayAvengers

    This is actually a huge reveal, as we were uncertain when he would release. Also, this is from the official PlayStation Magazine, so there is some validity to it. So far, the only confirmed characters are next month’s Kate Bishop, Hawkeye, and Black Panther. The latest State of the Game hinted at a War Table coming next month that will give us a clearer picture. Keep in mind that anything can also change, as CD is currently facing delays due to the first month being quite rocky.

    So, for now, take this as a potential release window and no official confirmation until the developers actually give us a date. Still, it is helpful to get a feeling for when we can expect him, and early 2021 is a good estimate for now. Our best guess is to wait for next month’s War Table video to give us some insight into what Crystal Dynamics is working on and when we can expect it. Hopefully, things will be much clearer for the coming months.

    Source: Reddit

  • ‘Spider-Man 3’ Revving Up for Early November Production Start

    ‘Spider-Man 3’ Revving Up for Early November Production Start

    We are anxiously waiting for the production of Spider-Man 3 to start in November. There is still no sign of the official title for the film, as many rumors start to pile up. All we know is that the story will pick up where Far From Home left off. Mysterio has revealed Peter Parker’s secret identity to the world. That is not all, the former Stark employee has now pinned his death on the young superhero.

    Now, he is the center of attention, as the police and some villains might be out to get theri revenge for the kid that put them behind bars. It will be a challenging time, as he will have to keep a cool head while being faced with his biggest challenge yet. As the film has been in pre-production for some time, Holland‘s stunt double Greg Townley has shared a first look at what kind of action we can expect.

    It looks like they are going one step further with the action. The way Townley landed could also highlight that he will be quite frantic in his escape. It wouldn’t surprise me if he manages to get even more banged up throughout the story. Stuntwork is an amazing aspect of film making, which really deserves more attention with how much work they put into it. I cannot wait to see if I recognize this short sequence once the film releases hopefully next year.

    Spider-Man 3 will be quite an interesting film to keep an eye out for. Recent reports have revealed that the film will also include Jamie Foxx‘s Elektro and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Foxx already played the characteer in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, so this may hint at the multiverse having some role in the story. We still don’t know who the main villain is, so hopefully next month’s early production start will also signify that we will get some reveals in the coming weeks. We have gotten so many teases of what this crazy film might end up being that I cannot wait until we get our first look.

    Source: Instagram

  • First Official Look at Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted’

    First Official Look at Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted’

    Just today, we got our first real tease of the upcoming Uncharted film. It will adapt the iconic franchise by the game developer Naughty Dog. It will feature Tom Holland in the iconic role of Nathan Drake. Once voiced by Nolan North, the treasure hunter traveled the world to uncover hidden treasures and lost cities. The last entry was a spin-off title The Lost Legacy that was released in 2017, which took the focus away from the iconic character and give his supporting cast more attention. Drake’s story officially ended in the fourth entry known as Thief’s End. Now, we are all waiting anxiously for the upcoming film that is slowly finishing up production. After a short tease of North visiting the set, we also got our first official look at Holland in costume.

    He certainly has the looks down for the iconic character. The colors of his outfit seem similar to the one he wears in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. It would be interesting if they pay tribute to the various colors he has worn throughout the franchise in this film. We also see Sir Francis Drake’s iconic ring, which states Sic Parvis Magma, which translates to: “Greatness from small beginnings”. It is an item that heavily defines Drake’s character in the games. We also get a tease of the set design, as he is standing on a destroyed galleon There aren’t any dead giveaways if this connects to the recent reveal of Ferdinand Magellan or if it is part of an expedition that tried to find whatever treasure they are hunting. In the games, you spend a lot of time going from one clue to the next until you uncover the actual secret of the story. Still, Holland looks fantastic in the role, and cannot wait to see how they translated this game franchise to the silver screen.

    Source: Instagram